Wastewater Project Leader

Job Description

Position Purpose: 

In the role of Project Leader, the successful candidate will lead the planning, execution, and completion of a project, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and timely delivery within budget constraints. Navigate project-specific challenges with resilience and adaptability, proactively addressing obstacles as they arise. Effectively communicate project goals, progress, and challenges to team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed. Foster a collaborative team environment by leveraging strong emotional intelligence and building positive relationships within the project team. Develop and implement creative, practical solutions to overcome project-related issues and drive successful outcomes. Ensure that project teams reflect and respect diversity, promoting an inclusive and supportive working environment. Drive project success by keeping a clear focus on achieving defined objectives and delivering high-quality outcomes.

• Safety: Lead and nurture a safety culture driven by individual behavior and accountability across the assigned project. Ensure proficiency in the applicability, care, and use of all site-specific, facility-required PPE. Maintain plant compliance with OSHA, State, and Veolia Safety and Environmental Programs.
• Compliance: Lead efforts to ensure compliant execution of the specific contract for the assigned project site, including adherence to established environmental, safety, operating, and emergency response procedures.
• Reliability: Demonstrate skills and responsibilities related to ensuring dependable project execution, maintaining high quality standards, and delivering consistent results. Apply ingenuity and initiative to coordinate problem resolution, manage conflicting priorities, and meet deadlines within a team environment. Serve rotational 24-hour emergency on-call as required by the site.
• People Focused: Exhibit strong leadership and mentoring skills to effectively manage resources (eg.personnel, equipment, materials, facilities, funds, and reputation). Demonstrate effective communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills to motivate all levels of project personnel. Evaluate employee performance, match abilities with job requirements, and capitalize on talents to meet business objectives. Ensure effective communication and execution of business initiatives and progress toward goals by employees.
• Customer Obsessed: Build and maintain strong customer relationships, understanding customer needs, requirements, and feedback to incorporate into project deliverables. Administer client contracts to ensure compliance, customer satisfaction, and prompt identification and notification of scope changes. Perform baseline client relations duties, including progress reports and special reports preparation and presentation. Participate in client meetings, special award programs, and professionally handle client service issue resolution. Assist with regulatory agency reports and public relations duties as necessary. Performance measured by Net Promoter Score and participation.
• Cost Effective: Hold responsibility for budget preparation and implementation of cost control measures. Forecast budget, staffing, and equipment needs. Demonstrate proficiency in spreadsheet and database software, optimizing technology and systems used to communicate, manage budgets, streamline processes, and increase efficiency. Maintain full P&L and budgeting ownership for the assigned project.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Ability to inspire and guide a team towards project goals, providing clear vision and motivation.
• Focused on empowering team members by fostering an environment of collaboration, accountability, and support.
• Skilled in mentoring and developing individual team members to enhance their contributions and professional growth.
• Excellent communication skills to articulate project goals, expectations, and progress to both internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills for building effective relationships across departments and ensuring alignment with operational objectives.
• Demonstrates leadership by example, setting high standards for work ethic, professionalism, and accountability. 
• Ability to influence without direct authority, gaining buy-in and cooperation from cross-functional teams or stakeholders.
• Ability to engage with clients, providing regular updates, and ensuring their needs and expectations are addressed throughout the project.
• Skilled at managing stakeholder expectations and navigating sensitive situations diplomatically.
• People Management:
  • Foster a positive and inclusive work culture that promotes employee engagement, development, and retention.
  • Provide strategic leadership, coaching, and mentoring to regional personnel.
  • Implement company employee recognition programs and address employee concerns promptly and effectively. Generally, supervise a staff of >10 FTEs.
• Safety:
  • Champion a culture of safety excellence by implementing and enforcing comprehensive safety protocols, procedures, and best practices across the entire project.
  • Conduct regular safety training programs and promote individual accountability for safe work practices.
  • Monitor and report on project safety performance metrics, including incident rates and near-misses.
  • Promote a culture of safety accountability and individual responsibility.
• Business Development and Client Relations:
  • Maintain outstanding relationships with current clients.
  • Facilitate opportunities for scope expansions, contract extensions, and renewals.
  • Participate in council meetings for the project and neighboring cities/towns to build relationships with prospective clients.
  • Solicit client feedback and respond to customer needs promptly.
  • Seek customer and sales input to gain an intimate understanding of customer needs, problems, and systems.
  • Improve satisfaction levels by identifying needs and implementing corrective actions.
  • Evaluate and develop new business opportunities.
• Contract Management:
  • Interpret contracts to define deliverables and fulfill schedules.
  • Conduct routine client meetings, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.
  • Ensure customer requirements and deadlines are met.
  • Automate processes where possible and capture historical data for future quotes.
  • Participate in project start-up teams.
• Procurement:
  • Manage contract MBE/WBE/VBE procurement requirements.
  • Ensure compliance with legal requirements and company policies.
  • Identify and justify capital expenditures partnering directly with the client.
• Financial Management:
  • Monitor project's financial performance.
  • Compliance with cost center budget.
  • Personnel utilization.
  • Pricing.
  • Customer invoicing and collections.
  • Prepare monthly reports in a timely manner.
  • Develop and present annual budgets for project review.
  • Ensure project meets or exceeds financial plans.
  • Forecast monthly budget variances.
  • Ensure timely collection of receivables.
• Operational Oversight:
  • Manage facilities generally >10 mgd, including several worksites or a single large water/wastewater plant.
  • Generally responsible for revenue less than $10M.
  • Supervise a staff of >10 FTEs.

Work Environment: 

• Spends 60% of time in the operations environment and 40% of time in the office environment at a project site.
• Attends client meetings (e.g., city council, utility board or internal management).
• Need to work outside in inclement weather conditions and drive a company vehicle to perform duties.
• Occasional travel for training or meetings.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background: 

• A degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, Project Management, or a related field is strongly preferred but not required.
• 6 years of leadership experience, 4 of which leading project teams, with a strong emphasis on effective team collaboration and project delivery.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Leadership and Personal Qualities:
  • Outgoing, self-directed, goal-oriented, and creative in identifying opportunities.
  • Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail.
  • High degree of initiative, judgment, and resourcefulness.
  • Ability to find creative solutions to complex problems and manage changing priorities.
  • Demonstrated leadership ability with understanding of HR principles.
• Financial Management:
  • P&L ownership, budgeting, and cost control for project sites.
  • Proven track record of delivering excellent customer satisfaction.
• Relationship Management:
  • Build and maintain strong partnerships with customers.
  • Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, listening, and presentation).
  • Ability to handle sensitive communications internally and with all levels of project stakeholders.
• Compliance and Safety:
  • Commitment to compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies.
  • Ability to understand and manage safety, environmental, and health requirements.
• Technical Skills:
  • Facilities and capital equipment management.
  • Problem-solving and solution development.
  • Team building and motivation across all personnel levels.
  • Technical writing and total quality management.
  • Strong PC skills, including proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, and database software.
  • Ability to optimize technology and systems to streamline processes and increase efficiency.

Required Certification/Licenses/Training: 

• CA SWRCB Wastewater Grade IV or V Certification required or ability to obtain within 12 months of hire